North Nomads Pangong Lake Trek

Our latest exploratory trek is an adventure into the high nomadic lake regions of Ladakh, following old Silk Route caravan trails over the high Himalayan passes of the Changthang Plateau, to Pangong Lake on the border of Tibet. This is a remote region reminiscent of western Tibet, with the snow-peaks of the Ladakh, Zanskar and Pangong Ranges providing a spectacular backdrop.

Our journey is a breathtaking adventure through the turquoise salt-lakes and high Tibetan grasslands of Kharnak and Rupshu, with soaring, snow-capped Himalayas as a back-drop and peppered with colonies of yak-hair nomadic tents. Getting there involves fording rivers and crossing high passes, and our reward is camping along the meandering rivers that feed into the lakes, an exciting entrance into this fading world of the nomads. The nomadic population has traditionally transmigrated from the high plains of Tibet
and the Changthang in search of nutritious grass for their livestock, salt to trade, and a market for their butter and wool, a difficult and tenuous existence. This unique way of life, sadly, is quickly dying as the nomads find an easier existence to this harsh life in the cities ...

Kiang (Tibetan wild ass) roam these wide valleys, guarding their territory, and red fox, blue sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas, Himalayan hare and many high altitude birds and fowl live in the region. It is a truly awesome, wild landscape of wide plateaus and craggy snow-peaks but also a gentle world of grassy meadows, delicate flowers, blue skies and meandering streams.

We start the journey with a taste of traditional Ladakhi village near the green Markha valley, under the soaring Himalayan & Zanskar ranges. This region too was part of an ancient network of trade routes, made all the more poignant by the crumbling fortresses, ancient Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, long mani walls and huge, white-washed chortens. Tibetan Buddhism, along with remnants of an older, more animist Bon religion, infuse the region with powerful symbols: 'lhatoos' or offering chortens for the mountain deities and prayer flags strung up on high peaks. We'll cross several of Ladakh's highest passes as we venture through the Changtang, camping with the nomads and at some of the most beautiful campsites in Ladakh. Most of them our secret
spots, discovered over years of exploration...

17 - Trek Tisaling 4850m (over Shingbuk La 5230m)

18 - Trek Tirido

19 - Trek Kyungyam

20 - Kyungyam

21 - Trek Gun La High Camp

22 - Trek Gun La Sumdo Camp (over Gun La 5680m)

23 - Trek Pangong Sumdo

24 - Trek Tarmar

25 - Trek Harong Lake

26 - Trek Chilam

27 - Drive Pangong Lake

28 - Pangong Lake

29 - Drive Leh

30 - Leh

Day 31 - Trip Ends

To see the detailed itinerary and more photos use a laptop/desktop browser or tablet in landscape (and hit refresh).

Detailed itinerary

Although we try to follow the itinerary below but it is only a guideline. At times
local trail, river or weather conditions may make a deviation necessary; rivers may be impassible, snow
blocks passes, and landslides wipe out trails. The trekking itinerary and
campsites may also vary slightly depending on the group's acclimatization rate or sickness.

The Himalaya are our passion, and we take trekking seriously. Although everyone is here on vacation,
please come with a dollop of patience and compassion added to your sense of adventure ...

Day 1 - Meet in Leh 3500m

Welcome to Leh, the capital of predominantly Buddhist Ladakh, in Jammu and Kashmir, tucked away
amidst the Ladakh mountains, part of the great Trans Himalayan range. If you arrive by air you'll feel
the big jump in altitude and it will take your body a few days to adjust. If you arrive by road from
Manali or Srinagar you'll have had some extra acclimatization en route, but will still need time to adjust
to the 3500 meter altitude. Hydrate with plenty of water, stay away from beer for a few days, rest and
don't over-exert yourself. Even walking up the stairs of
the guest house, let alone the Leh Fort, will make you breathless for the first day or two.
Diamox is a good way to help your body acclimatize naturally; Kim will discuss.

We stay at the family-run Shaynam Hotel, more of a family-run guest house with a lovely garden
in the center courtyard, located just a few minutes south of the Main Bazaar in old Leh town.
Your rooms will be booked for you, you'll just need to advise Kim of your arrival time, whether
by air or by road. Once everyone has arrived and checked into rooms, Kim will show you around town: the
bakeries, cafes, tandoori restaurants, email cafes, banks and wonderful markets. We'll meet for dinner
in the evening at the Ibex or Summer Harvest, a few of our favorite restaurants.

Days 2, 3 - Leh

We've scheduled two free days in Leh to acclimatize and to enjoy the peaceful, willow-lined streets
and bustling bazaar life of Singge Namgyal's 17th century capital of Ladakh, once an integral part of
Western Tibet and a major trading post along the southern Silk Route. There is lots to explore in this wonderful Central Asian
town; the newly-restored ruins of the 17th century Leh Palace, the ancient 16th century Leh Fort and the attached
Namgyal Tsemo Gompa, other historic Tibetan Buddhist gompas, the Sunni
Muslim mosques, narrow back alleys with steaming Muslim bread, tiny antique shops
tucked away amidst the many ancient stupas and architectural remnants, the
exotic Main Bazaar (c. 1840s) which once accommodated trade caravans, and even a polo field.
Caravans of merchants from far-flung destinations such as Yarkand, Tibet, Kashgar and North
India passed through Leh during ancient trade missions, trading salt, wool, Pashmina, tea and
semi-precious stones, lending to the city its exotic allure. Pilgrims flocked to the monasteries
of Leh and the Indus valley, explorers of old stopped in Leh to re-stock and weather out the harsh
Himalayan winter and soldiers en route to plunder and conquer desirous destinations passed through
Leh, all leaving their mark on this unique capital.

Kim will take you for a walk up the bustling Fort Road, lined with shops owned by Kashmiri,
Tibetan and Kashmiri shop-keepers, to 15th century Leh Fort and the red, MaitreiyaTsemo Gompa,
perched high on a craggy and crumbling hilltop overlooking the bazaars of old Leh. You can stop
at 16th century nine-story Leh Palace, of a similar architectural design to the Tibetan Potala
Palace, on the way down if you have the energy. Visit the museum, a worthwhile endeavor, as well
as the nearby gompas (Tibetan Buddhist monasteries) - Soma Gompa, Chamba Lakhang and Chensrig
Lakhang. There is a great cultural show around sunset at Soma Gompa.

We might wander the willow-lines streets of Changspa to reach the many steps leading to the
Japanese-built Shanti Stupa for a view over the green fields and white-washed Ladakhi houses of
the villages surrounding Leh. The precariously perched Leh Fort guards the eastern edges of the
fertile valley. Sankar Gompa (17th - 18th century), reached through shady lanes to the east of
Changspa, lies in the midst of Chubi's groves of poplar and willow and is another wonderful
morning or afternoon walk. The back route to Leh Fort starts in Chubi and passes through a
desert-like Buddhist cremation ground before climbing to the fortress.

OPTIONAL GOMPA-TRIP: Arrange (through Kim, our Tibetan jeep-driver Wang Chuk or the
Shaynam Hotel) a 'jeep safari' through the fertile Indus Valley to visit a
few of the living Tibetan Buddhist gompas, the crumbling ruins of ancient
fortresses and palaces and the traditional villages that dot the banks of the
region, the 'cradle of civilization' of much of the ancient world. Kim can help arrange jeeps and/or a guide for a day's excursion.

OPTIONAL RAFTING-TRIP: You can arrange a day rafting trip on the Indus (easier) or the Zanskar River, approximately $25-$30.

Day 4 - Drive Lato 4020m

After breakfast, we jump into our jeeps and head for the start of the trek at our acclimatization destination, Lato. We following the Leh Srinagar highway east, past the ancient, 14th century Spitok Gompa, spectacularly perched on a craggy hillock above the cultivated fields of Spitok village. We continue past the old palace and gompa at Shey, surrounded by hundreds of whitewashed chortens, and continue past more chortens built by the kings of Ladakh towards colorful Thikse Gompa on the left. The renown Hemis Gompa is built high up on a hillside to our right, down a connecting lane. Soon after passing this landmark we turn right at Upshi, following the Leh Manali highway south as it snakes its way over the high passes of the Zanskar and Himalayan ranges heading to Manali. Following the Gya Chu along a spectacular section of highway, we soon reach our campsite at the hamlet of Lato where the staff has set up camp for the night. We'll set you up in your tents, show you around our 'Kamzang' style dining tent and settle in with a mug of chai. Beers are available at a small tea-house nearby.

Day 5 - Drive Dat 4310m

Another spectacular and short day of driving as we head south, crossing the 5300 meter Tanglang La and descending through a wide, green nomadic region peppered with nomad tents. At the bottom of the long pass we turn right, heading west through the nomadic region of Zara over the 4960 meter Yar La and descend on a serious of switchbacks to the valley below. At the end of this small valley our jeeps will turn right and drive for half an hour through a wild plateau of nomads, kiang and marmots to our idyllic campsite at Dat.

Our campsite for the night is lovely, high pastureland next to the now-deserted village of Shemen. Dat, which houses approximately forty families (although many have now moved to Choglamsar) in the Spring and late Autumn, is actually composed of the two villages of Dango (upper) and Shemen (lower). The nomadic villagers move to the Sangtha and Lungmoche valleys with their flocks in the summer months, and to the valley behind Dat few a couple of months in the wintertime. Marmots share the campsite with us and Kiang might check us out from the ridge above Dat. Sunsets and sunrises are glorious from camp so it's worth a visit to the small, monk-run teahouse to pick up a beer for 'sundowner' ...

The perfect, grassy campsite for an afternoon of relaxation and acclimatization. Warm streams meander through the valley, providing lukewarm washing water, and the sun usually shines brightly. If you feel like a wander, head up the side valley in back of Shemen village for an afternoon of wildlife spotting. Spend some time in the deserted villages and Dat Gompa, where the local god Ka La Bu Skyong, the protector and 'giver of sons', reins supreme. (Interestingly, this god is only recognized in Kharnak). The semi-permanent village of Shemen is fascinating, and the gompa worth a visit if we can find the resident key-keeper, a young monk from Hemis, who also collects the camp charges. Wander through the empty passageways between the stone houses; the discarded rubbish gives a picture of what life is like during the inhabited periods.

Another option is a (slightly difficult) hike up the plateau and prayer-flag topped peak above Dat at 4710 meters for totally amazing birds-eye views down on the valley, but be ready for some scrambling.

Day 6 - Trek Nomadic Winter Doksa 4505m

Our trekking begins, finally. We're keeping the details of the next few days quiet as no trekking groups know about this route. Trust us to lead you to one of the most beautiful and green valleys in Ladakh where we will set up camp in what we call our 'snow leopard valley' ...

Day 7 - Trek Kiang Camp

Another secret day with an easy pass at 4815m to reach our campsite in a green valley full of kiang, and perhaps snow leopard ...

Day 8 - Trek Lungmoche 4710m (over Yar La 4950m)

We have a small pass to crest, with views of the Zanskar Range, during which we often spot herd of kiang that reside in the nearby valleys (kiang translates as 'wander/wanderer' in Ladakhi). The male often comes out to the main valley to scout for the herd of females and younger males, all of which will snort, paw the ground and arrange an impressive maneuver for us if their territory is threatened. Himalayan hares also reside in the valley and dart in and out of site. We crest one last ridge from camp before contouring towards the ascent of the 4950 meter Yar La, a relatively easy climb of just over an hour from the end of the valley following the winter snow wall built for winter sheep crossings. The chorten on the pass has some beautiful carvings including the Kharnak mountain deity, a lovely mountain goddess called Tsering Ma (Ched Inga), the eldest of five sisters, also recognized in Tibet. Most of these nomadic mountain deities are Bon deities which have been subdued by Guru Rimpoche as protectors of the Buddhist faith. We can see our old campsite just five minutes down the pass, and it will only take us half an hour (or a bit more if we camp further down the valley) to reach the turnoff to that camp at Lungmoche, another lovely pastureland. We're still Kiang territory still, so keep your cameras ready. We'll continue down the lovely, green Lungmoche valley for another half an hour or so from here, setting up camp somewhere green ...

Day 9 - Trek Zabuk Barma 4350m

Today we head into well-loved nomadic territory, hiking down the green valley on the right side of the valley (there is a road being built on the opposite side, sadly). We'll pass a large doksa soon after leaving camp, and then a mani wall and large chorten. An hour from this last chorten after a short, traversing climb brings us to a small pass where we'll have a short rest in front of the mountain home of the three sister goddesses. From here we descend gradually to the right, contour up and down several arid hillsides and reach a short but dramatic canyon through which we descend. Turning left we soon reach a broad plateau with chortens marking routes on all three sides and a cluster of eight magnificent, whitewashed chortens across the river. Fifteen minutes later we drop into the seasonal nomadic settlement of Sangtha, built of rounded, white river rocks and littered with goat and sheep droppings. Cross the river to the complex of mani stones and chortens for wonderful photos and great views back to Sangtha, which marks the intersection of the Ladakhi and Tibetan nomadic regions.

We follow the magnificent, clear Zara Chu on the chorten-side to a grassy lunch spot at the first river intersection. We continue for another hour or so on the same side (left) past more sparkling river intersections, nomadic settlements (doksas), and a wolf trap and then drop down to the grassy riverside. Near camp on our side of the river is a marmot colony, with small trails leading to their tunnel shelters.

One more river bend and we spot out campsite across the river at Zhabuk Barma, a spectacularly-situated seasonal settlement of the Karnak-pa. To the east (below our camp) the Tozay Chu leads to Pang on the Leh-Manali highway and the Ladakhi nomadic region of Kharnak, and is bordered by a fantastic canyon of sculpted rocks leads. The campsite is wonderful and green with perfect swimming holes along the river and a cold, fresh spring in back. There are three tri-colored chortens in a shallow cave above the stone doksas, worth a steep climb up for views over the campsite and down the valley. And just to the left of these, a steep valley leading up to a fantastic plateau with vast vistas, a must-do in the afternoon with the perfect light. Keep your eyes on the hilltops next to camp for kiang, Himalayan hare and blue sheep, all of which are common in this area.

We'll have a yak-dung fire in the evening ...

Day 10 - Trek Narbus 4820m (over Narbus La 4850m)

We have a wonderfully dramatic hike today as we re-cross the Zara Chu right out of camp and climb to a high plateau just above us. Heading slightly around the hilltop to our right we cross the plateau on a sort of natural bridge and reach the fantastic canyons above the Tozay Chu to reach the sculpted canyons. The multi-hued spires of rock sculpted by centuries of wind and water erosion make for amazing photos. The river valley below our camp leads to the small settlement of Pang, which is off the Leh Manali highway from Narbus. We hike along this plateau, a feast of textures and colors high above the valley below, eventually contouring left towards the Narbus La.

It will take us four or five hours from camp to crest the 4850-meter pass. From the wide crest, marked by a small cairn, we can spot the canvas and yak-hair tents of the Tibetan nomadic settlement of Narbus where we set up camp for the night. Our nomadic Tibetan friends camp here for about four months every summer, and we can take a look at the inside of a nomad tent or two in the afternoon. Be ready, as we will be offered treats such as salt butter tea and fresh curd (yogurt) from their flocks of goats and sheep. Narbus is a good place to donate your supplies or extra clothes; years ago we had a meeting of the women from each tent and distributed evenly much needed school supplies and extras. Another year we bargained for yak and sheep-hair blankets and nomadic knives with binoculars, a Leatherman and some cash.

The evenings are a wonderful time of the day as the orange orb of sun begins to set, the nomads returning to camp herding their hundreds of sheep and goats, and the yaks wandering back to the tents followed by the haunting yells of the Tibetans.

Day 11 - Trek Numa River Camp 4610m

We start on our six hour day to the beautiful Numa Valley Camp. We cut across the Narbus valley for two hours to reach the Leh - Manali highway (unless we hitch a ride), and then continue right across the tussocked plateau towards the spectacular canyon that extends from Pang, four hours from Narbus. There are several nomadic settlements peppering the plateau in front of us and to our left, and we often spot Kiang along the way, even a weasel last year. It can be hot and there is no shade along the way so it's a good day for an umbrella. Look up and down valley as the views are spectacular, the Himalayan rising impressively in front of us behind Pang. When we reach the edge of the plateau leading to Pang we are on yet another dramatic plateau overlooking sculpted rock outcroppings and 'hoodoos', with the river snaking through the flood plain valley below us.

We hike along the canyon rim for another hour to the turnoff to camp, the second large valley descending to our right. We'll have lunch somewhere just before we hit this valley. After lunch, we'll drop and contour around two small hillsides and then descend extremely steeply to the river, following in the tracks of our horses (in case you can't believe this is really a trail). We see our campsite being set up far below us as we descend.

Dropping steeply down a scree-filled gully, we slip our way down to the riverbed far below. Our campsite is right on the river at the intersection of a lovely stream, under the pillars of eroded sand which have formed themselves into Himalayan cathedrals called hoodoos. We'll have time in the afternoon for a wash in the river, or a wander up the stream bed to the left of camp ...

Day 12 - Trek Shemra High Camp 5100m

Yet another wonderful Himalayan trekking day ahead of us and another sandals day. The trek takes on a completely different character as we follow the wide Sumkhar Togpo river valley for a few hours along the flood plain, jumping over and splashing through the river many times and passing a large valley leading to the high Barma La to the left side of the river. Crumbling hoodoos line the trail on either side, backed by vivid blue skies and fluffy Himalayan clouds. We reach the second large valley junction, the Shemra Chu, which leads to Shemra, a grazing settlement, and the base of the Gyama La (5830m) which we will cross tomorrow. We'll camp at a high, grassy camp site a few hours up the narrowing, stunningly beautiful valley.

Day 13 - Trek Kyagar (over Gyama La 5830m)

A big pass day ahead of us as we leave our high camp heading east and ascend on a switchbacking trail of scree to the top of the formidable Gyama La, our highest pass at 5830 meters. It should take us three or so hours to reach the top of the pass, where we're treated to a great Himalayan panorama. The green valley widens as we descend, soon reaching the Gyarmasharma Chu which we follow to the bottom of the valley. We may have a bit of snow at the upper reaches of the valley, which narrows as we near the next sumdo. We've reached familiar nomadic territory at the bottom of the valley, a wide, green and stunningly beautiful Tibetan vignette where kiang graze freely, yaks roam the plateau and pikas and marmots stick their heads out of their burrows. This valley is pure Tibet; open, grassy plateaus, wild, amazing views, big sky and nomads on horseback herding their sheep. We'll set up camp at the nomadic settlement of Kyagar, at the base of tomorrow's small pass and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in our idyllic campsite.

Day 14 - Trek Rajung Karu 4880m

We have a truly beautiful 'Changthang' day with the nomads ahead of us, a relatively easy one after yesterday. We leave the winding, crystal clear stream which snakes its way down valley from our camp and head up the the Kyamayuri La (5430 meters), an easy ascent. From the prayer flags at the top of the pass we finally get a view of the turquoise Tso Kar Lake below us, a breathtaking site backed by Himalayan peaks. The descent to camp will take us about two hours of riverside walking along the Spanglung Chu. En route we'll pass by many nomadic encampments with their Tibetan mastiffs chained to a stick in the ground, hopefully tightly. More Kiang in this green valley. Again, we follow the river to our camp at Rajung Karu although the easiest way is to stay a bit higher on the left side. The grassy riversides are home to marmot, pikas, Himalayan mice and numerous varieties of birds which build their nests in the uneven tussocks. Camp is on the right side of the river, another beautiful and green spot with good washing in the river next to us. We'll watch the daily migration of the flocks of sheep and goats heading back to camp at upper Rajung Karu in the evening ...

Day 15 - Trek Tso Kar Camp 4560m (over Horlam Kongka La 4950m)

Continuing along the right of the river on the green riverside, past several mani walls, it will take us an hour to reach the wide Horlam Kongka La (4950 meters). From the rounded top we look down onto Tso Kar Lake and several stone nomadic dwellings. We have an easy descent to the river and a small river crossing at Nuruchan, another nomadic seasonal settlement. We continue to hike along a dirt track towards Tso Kar, glimmering like an oasis in the distance. Kiang will be watching us from a distance as we trek past the stone settlement of Riyul and the wetlands surrounding the lake. Bubbles of salt are visible at the shores, which are very boggy, and shorebirds are plentiful.

Tso Kar Lake is the 'salt lake' of Rupshu, previously the site of large salt excavations by the Rupshu-pa nomads, a section of the lake given to each group each year when the salt trade between Tibet and the lower hills was thriving (after the border with China was closed in 1959). Today, Tso Kar Lake is not as salty as it previously was, and the salt trade has diminished in importance because if the introduction of iodized and subsidized Indian salt. There is a small Tibetan village to the north of the lake called Tukje with an old gompa; most of the people of Tso Kar lake are Tibet semi-nomadic people who spend the winters in their villages at the lake.

After stopping for lunch on the grass we'll continue to round the western side of the lake, either on the dirt track or right next to the lake, a bit longer. We also have the option to climb the small Kongka Seru La (4850m) and descend easily to camp that way. It will take us a few hours to reach the tented camp of Pongunagu at the northwestern corner of the lake where we camp for the night.

Day 16 - Trek Nabukha 4700

The next 12 days are wild exploration of some of the most stunningly beautiful nomadic regions in Ladakh. Have sandals with you every day as we're not sure of how many rivers we'll have to cross ... Back off the Tso Kar trail, we head north towards the high, seasonal nomadic settlements of Shingbuk and Nabukha, setting up camp at the later.

Day 17 - Trek Tisaling 4850m (over Shingbuk La 5230m)

A real trekking day today, starting off by trekking up a wide valley and cresting an unnamed 5070 meter pass from where we contour gradually to the real pass, the Shingbuk La (5230m). The descent is also wide and gradual, and we soon reach the nomadic settlement of Tisaling (#1) where we reach a small stream which we follow to the east, staying at about 5000 meters for an hour or so. We've got a river crossing at the next sumdo, from where we follow the intersecting stream directly north for a short time. One more crossing and we've reached the seasonal settlement of Tisaling (#2) where the staff has hopefully found us a nice campsite.

Day 18 - Trek Tirido 3820m

The explorations continue as we follow the Tiri Chu downstream, crossing several intersecting streams en route. We gradually descend to 4400 meters and trek through the green pastures of Tiri, followed by the smaller nomadic settlement of Kiamchumikchan. Chumik means 'spring' in Ladakhi ... The valley is green as we follow good grazing land through the narrow valley, reaching the Indus (and the road across it) at Tirido.

Day 19 - Trek Kyungyam 4110m

There is a bridge crossing the Indus about half an hour below (to the south) of camp, and after crossing we have to hike up the Indus highway for an hour to the turnoff to Pangong Lake on our right. At Kyungyam Do we head north along the Kyungyam Chu, following a dirt track past Thanka on the right followed by Kiamlun and Kardang on the left, eventually reaching Kyungyam at the next river intersection. We'll set up a lovely camp in this green valley ...

Day 20 - Kyungyam

We've scheduled a rest day in this small nomadic settlement, which has its own gompa (Kyungyam Gompa) and looks on the map to be a beautiful spot. We may use this rest day somewhere else if needed ...

Day 21 - Trek Gun La High Camp 5200m?

Crossing the river to the east in the morning, we continue to follow the Kyungyam Chu northeast, crossing the first intersecting stream at Roang, and the next about an hour later. The valley widens as we ascend gradually for another hour or more, again crossing the Kyungyam Chu at about 5000 meters, just after it intersects a stream to the left. After another hour or so there is a third crossing at a similar altitude; we will camp somewhere in this area ...

Day 22 - Trek Gun La Sumdo Camp 5000m? (over Gun La 5680)

Another high pass to cross, so have an extra cup of coffee and a good breakfast before setting off. We're starting high for the pass, so our 600+ meter ascent shouldn't take us more then three hours. Once on top of the Gun La (5680 meters), we'll have, we hope, views of the beautiful Pangong Tso (lake), two thirds of which is in Tibet. Heading down the pass, we soon reach a stream which we follow on the left banks for an hour, crossing an intersecting stream and continuing on the same side of the river until we find a good campsite for the evening.

Day 23 - Trek Pangong Sumdo 5000m?

Continuing to stay high, at around 5000 meters, we continue to trek along this valley as it opens up into a wide plateau. As this is still exploratory, we'll see how far we get as we head towards Pangong Lake. We're heading towards a large, green and fertile valley which follows the Harong Chu to the west, and perhaps we'll reach a bit further than we expected today ....

Day 24 - Trek Tarmar 4450m

Switching directions, we head northwest along the Harong Chu on the eastern banks of the river, parallel to the snow-capped Pangong Range directly to our north. It's not a long day to the nomadic settlement of Tarmar where we'll hope to camp with nomads in the fertile valley.

Day 25 - Trek Harong Lake 4310m

The valley becomes greener as we continue along the same route as yesterday, staying at a similar altitude as we trek past several intersecting streams which we cross. After a few hours the valley widens to a massive plateau and we see the small Harong Lake ahead of us. The crew have hopefully found us another idyllic campsite for the night, and we'll hope to spend the afternoon drinking salt-butter tea with more nomads.

Day 26 - Trek Chilam 4070m

Our last day of trekking along an ancient trade route that went from Leh to Rudok and on to Lhasa in Tibet. We journey with our caravan along the eastern banks of the river, again crossing several intersecting streams and eventually pulling away from the river to the north as we cross a high plateau. The sky is wide and blue above us as we pull into our last camp at Chilam , lower than we've slept in a few nights.

As our horsemen are heading in a different direction tomorrow, we'll have the tips ceremony tonight and share a few bottles of rum with the crew. Ang Chuk and our drivers will meet us here today and drive us to Pangong Lake tomorrow.

Day 27 - Drive Pangong Lake 4280m

Jumping into our jeeps for our 'jeep safari' to Pangong Lake, we continue, on a small jeep track, to the Pangong Highway, make a sharp right and follow the river to Lukung, the village at the far western tip of the lake. We will probably continue to Spangmik on the southern shores of Pangong Lake to set up camp ...

Day 28 - Pangong Lake

A free day at this idyllic setting to wind down from the trek and enjoy the surroundings ...

Day 29 - Drive Leh

Back in the jeeps, we drive back along the southern shores of Pangong Lake and after a few hours, following a branch of the large Shyog River, turn south and drive over the Chang La (5300m) to Karu, where the road intersects the Indus and the Leh-Manali highway. Another hour and a half of driving and we're back in Leh at the Shaynam Hotel, where hot showers and dinner in town await!

Day 30 - Leh

We've scheduled one last day in Leh, our favorite Central Asian capital, in case of delays during the trek. We'll also have time to do some more shopping and exploring, and to wind down after our journey through the high, nomadic regions of 'old Tibet'.

Day 31 - Trip Ends

Our wonderful Himalayan journey ends today, sadly. You have several options after the trip: a flight back to Delhi, an epic 'jeep safari' back to Manali or elsewhere in the Indian Himalaya, or spending more time in Leh. We're happy to assist on all fronts, but Leh flights are not included in our India treks.

Jullay!

Short Option

Day 16 - Drive Leh

Back in the jeeps, we drive back along the southern shores of Pangong Lake and after a few hours, following a branch of the large Shyog River, turn south and drive over the Chang La (5300m) to Karu, where the road intersects the Indus and the Leh-Manali highway.En route we pass the western Indus valley gompas, amongst them the 1000-year old Alchi, Hemis, Rizdong, Likir, Thikse and Shey. Back at the Shaynam Guest House in Leh, hot showers and a clean change of clothes await, and tandoori food and cold beers are not far away at the Ibex.

Day 17 - Leh

We've scheduled one last day in Leh, our favorite Central Asian capital, in case of delays during the trek. We'll also have time to do some more shopping and exploring, and to wind down after our journey through the high, nomadic regions of 'old Tibet'.

Day 18 - Thursday, 8 August - Trip Ends

Our wonderful Himalayan journey ends today, sadly. You have several options after the trip: a flight back to Delhi, an epic 'jeep safari' back to Manali or elsewhere in the Indian Himalaya, or spending more time in Leh. We're happy to assist on all fronts, but Leh flights are not included in our India treks.